A pair of right-wing operatives dodged serious jail time Monday as they were sentenced to just one year of probation for orchestrating a racist robocall campaign targeting Black voters in Detroit. Jack Burkman, 59, and Jacob Wohl, 27, pleaded no contest to felony charges related to creating and funding the series of robocalls that pushed falsehoods about voting by mail in 2020.
The automated messages, which were sent to nearly 12,000 numbers linked to Detroit addresses, falsely warned recipients of potential arrest warrants or debt collection if they voted by mail. The calls also falsely claimed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could use the information to track people for mandatory vaccines.
Prosecutor Dana Nessel appeared at the hearing and condemned the scheme, stating that the defendants' conduct used "every racist dog whistle" to steal the right to vote from Black voters. She warned that if Burkman and Wohl engage in criminal behavior while on probation, they would be held accountable and face serious consequences.
The robocall was just one part of a larger voter suppression campaign, with Burkman and Wohl previously agreeing to pay up to $1.25 million for similar schemes in multiple states. The case moved through years of appeals before the Michigan Supreme Court upheld the validity of the state's voter intimidation statute.
Under a Cobbs agreement, Judge Margaret VanHouten gave defendants an advance estimate of their sentence in exchange for a plea, allowing them to avoid jail time. However, if Burkman and Wohl commit crimes while on probation, they can be resentenced to jail. The men's sentence of one year of probation is a relatively lenient punishment compared to the severity of their actions.
The automated messages, which were sent to nearly 12,000 numbers linked to Detroit addresses, falsely warned recipients of potential arrest warrants or debt collection if they voted by mail. The calls also falsely claimed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could use the information to track people for mandatory vaccines.
Prosecutor Dana Nessel appeared at the hearing and condemned the scheme, stating that the defendants' conduct used "every racist dog whistle" to steal the right to vote from Black voters. She warned that if Burkman and Wohl engage in criminal behavior while on probation, they would be held accountable and face serious consequences.
The robocall was just one part of a larger voter suppression campaign, with Burkman and Wohl previously agreeing to pay up to $1.25 million for similar schemes in multiple states. The case moved through years of appeals before the Michigan Supreme Court upheld the validity of the state's voter intimidation statute.
Under a Cobbs agreement, Judge Margaret VanHouten gave defendants an advance estimate of their sentence in exchange for a plea, allowing them to avoid jail time. However, if Burkman and Wohl commit crimes while on probation, they can be resentenced to jail. The men's sentence of one year of probation is a relatively lenient punishment compared to the severity of their actions.
... these two right-wing operatives got off scot-free! I mean, I'm not surprised, tho... corruption and cronyism are such a big deal in our country 
. One year of probation for orchestrating a racist robocall campaign that targeted Black voters? It's like, hello?! That's some serious hate crime vibes 
. And to think they were only caught after years of appeals 
. I mean, I'm all for rehabilitation and second chances, but not when someone's tried to steal people's right to vote in the first place 
. It's so frustrating, man 
.
.
I think it's pretty low that these two guys only got a slap on the wrist for what they did. I mean, pushing racist lies to thousands of people who are just trying to exercise their right to vote? That's some serious manipulation and harassment. And it gets worse - this isn't an isolated incident, but part of a larger pattern of voter suppression that affects whole communities. One year of probation is basically a free pass, if you ask me. I'm all for second chances, but when you're trying to destroy someone's right to participate in the democratic process, I think a more serious penalty is in order. 
I don't get it... how can two guys just avoid serious time for something so racist and manipulative? 
And what's with the "every racist dog whistle" comment? Is that just a fancy way of saying they were trying to stir up hate and fear in people? 
This whole thing feels so unfair... 
especially considering all the harm they caused. and what's w/ the plea deal? it feels like they got off scot free 
anyway, glad the state's voter intimidation statute is legit now 
1 yr prob 
is like, a joke right? those robocalls were super messed up and racist 
what's next? gettin away with murder on probation? 